By Priyanka Mishra :
Jharsuguda: Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals in India, so of Jharsuguda. It’s the most awaited festival for the idol makers, puja committees and the common people. But due to Corona, maximum numbers of sculptors are facing huge loss this year. As per the Covid-19 guidelines, idols size should be not more than 4fts and unlike every year, only a few puja committees are allowed to celebrate Durga Puja, that too with no pomp and grandeur. However, as per the govt. instructions, all puja committees are planning to celebrate Durga Puja all together. Because of the pandemic, the celebration is also under restrictions, which resulted in sufferings, mostly to the sculptors.
We brought you the exclusive video of one of those sculptors in our special report.
Unlike every year, Soumen Pal, a sculptor from West Bengal, who has been making idols in Jharsuguda for the past ten years, shared his experience about this year.
He says, ” We are facing loss this year but idol-making is our traditional business, our bread and butter, we’ll be coming to Jharsuguda every year. We spend a lot of money every year and get a good profit out of it. We’ve spent enough money this year too. But it seems we are going to bear loss this time. Though we couldn’t arrive at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi and Viswakarma Puja due to the hike of Corona, we thought, we can cover in Durga puja. However now it seems we are late. Every year we get 8-10 big orders. To fulfil the demands of the client’s, we bring special mud from Kolkata which is not available here, by train. Which helps in the casting of the face and other parts too. According to that, we’ve brought that mud this year too, by paying extra.”
Soumen says, even after the losses this year, he will come next year too and he will be making idols, as it’s his only hope as well as his traditional workmanship.
